Tuesday, 19 August 2014

Welcome Wild Rose Press author, Diana Green...

Great to have you here, Diana! I am looking forward to learning more about you and your books. Let's get started with the questions...

1)Did you
set any goals for 2014?

I’m a goal oriented person, so that is
a big YES. Besides all the personal stuff like eating better and exercising
more, I have a goal of placing in at least one writing contest (New Sion is currently a finalist for the
Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence), finishing my Dragon Clan
trilogy, and starting my new multiple-worlds fantasy series, Rifters.

2)How long does it take you
to write a 50,000-60,000 word manuscript?

It takes me about three to
four months, especially if I have a lot of marketing and promotion activities
going on during that time. It can be hard to carve out writing time in the day,
as I’m sure you experience.

3)Tease us
with a blurb/short except

Dragon WifeBlurb

The clan is waking. After
centuries of spellbound sleep, dragon-shifters are

returning to the mountains.
They are few in number, and the outside world has

become overrun with humans.

Huroth, the dragon
chieftain, recognizes a need for his kind to adapt, by

forming alliances and
mate-bonds with humans, but his clan is divided. From the

first time she meets him,
Lady Orwenna is drawn to the magnificent chieftain.

The mind link he forms with
her is both fascinating and frightening, as is the

powerful attraction she
feels for him. If only she knew what was in his heart.

Does he want her for the
woman she is, or for her magical abilities? When war

breaks out between kingdoms
and ancient enemies of the dragons resurface, the

clan will be tested. In the
midst of uncertainty, can Huroth and Orwenna find

their way together?

Dragon Wife Excerpt

The
gathering grew quiet as sounds of boot heels on stone echoed from the entryway.
A man strode in alone, though to call him a man seemed less than sufficient.
There was such raw power about him, such majesty in his bearing. No one could
mistake his identity. This was the black dragon, shifted to man-like form, just
as legend described. Orwenna felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

“I
am Huroth, son of Huren,” he announced, his voice rich and deep. He faced the
king, down the long silent hall. “I am chieftain of the dragons who dwell in
the Drake’s Teeth Mountains. We offer an alliance to the kingdom of Rhelaun.
How do you answer?”

“You
are most welcome, honored guest.” The King bowed as he spoke then beckoned the
chieftain. “Please, come and talk with me, so we can decide how this alliance
should be arranged.”

As
Huroth advanced towards the throne, he made an impressive picture. He was tall
and broad shouldered, wearing dark leather armor and a heavy fur-lined cloak.
His hair tumbled in a thick black mane, his eyes the pale blue of glacier ice.
They swept over the courtiers, coolly assessing.

When
those eyes came to rest on Orwenna, she felt time slow. Everyone else, all her
surroundings, faded to nothing.

And who might you be?

She
heard the words in her head, as surely as if he’d spoken aloud. Without
consciously choosing, she responded in kind.

Orwenna.

His
eyes widened in surprise, and he paused mid-step. Apparently, he had not
expected her to hear his musing nor be able to answer.

There is an aura of magic about you. He
sent the thought, his gaze on her as sharp as a hawk’s.

That’s from my mother. She didn’t know
how she spoke directly into his mind. It made her a little dizzy, like too much
wine.

Who is your mother?

Sister to the king and the mage, Vardis.

I
see.

He
considered a moment, before nodding respectfully to her and continuing down the
hall. Those nearby gave Orwenna odd looks, and she realized how strange her
encounter with Huroth must have seemed. To everyone else, they would have
appeared to be simply standing, watching one another without speaking.

How
long had it been…one minute…five? She couldn’t guess. All she knew was that it
changed her. Reality had shifted and would never be quite the same again.
Dragons lived, breathed, and walked upon the land like lords of men. She had
spoken mind to mind with one, his fierce eyes locked on hers. It was not an
experience she would soon forget.

Lindsay Buroker. She’s self-published
and very successful. Her writing style is fast paced and action oriented, but
it also has romantic elements. She creates great characters and wonderfully
snappy dialogue.I highly
recommend her novel, The Emperor’s Edge, and it’s available free on Kindle from
Amazon.

5)Name two
romances you’ve read more than once

Ilona Andrews’ On the Edge is a great fantasy romance, and so is Heart of Fire by Janine Ashbless.

6)Tell us
about your first car

Oh boy. It was an old Chevy Chevette
which had previously belonged to a skate-boarding anarchist, at my high school.
It had these crazy bumper stickers on it and TONS of mechanical problems. It
finally self-destructed, after I’d had it about three years. However, it did
get me all the way to Olympia Washington, from Boise Idaho, when I moved after
graduation.

7)Tell us
something you’ve lied about?

When a friend has bought a new dress or
got her hair done, and she’s all excited about it, but I actually think it
looks awful. You better believe I lie. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings
or rain on their parade.

8)Kissing
in public? Yes or no?

I guess it depends on the situation,
but I certainly don’t rule out the possibility.

Author Bio

Since her
childhood, growing up in New Zealand, Diana has been an avid storyteller. For
years she enjoyed teaching art and special education, while continuing to write
as a hobby. After she developed chronic fatigue syndrome, a career change was
necessary, but happily this led her to become a professional author.

Diana’s books are
mostly fantasy and science fiction, with strong romantic elements. She
currently lives in beautiful Washington State, where she writes for The Wild
Rose Press.

5 comments:

The cover for "Dragon Wife" is stunning, Diana! And congratulations on New Sion being a finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence!! I am almost done reading it. Just a few more chapters to go. :D

Certain paranormal has become a trend. It's like reading the same book over and over. Yours is one I'll have to read. It offers something different. I love that. The cover attracts attention, too. Who did it for you?

Thanks for your comment, Sandra. I do have a goal of writing outside the "standard" genre box. Sometimes I worry this makes my books less marketable, but hopefully readers are looking for something new and fresh.

My cover artist at The Wild Rose Press is Debbie Taylor. She's great because she will work with authors to create a design they feel good about.